The novel is notable for its controversial subject: the protagonist and unreliable narrator, middle-aged literature professor Humbert Humbert, is obsessed with the 12-year-old Dolores Haze, with whom he becomes sexually involved after he becomes her stepfather. His private nickname for Dolores is Lolita.

I streamed “Lolita”, the film by Stanley Kubrick, last week and it was a moral torture watching the act of perversion taking place before my very own eyes. I disliked the movie and its plot. However, this highly controversial novel is considered a classic of the English language.

After its publication, Lolita attained a classic status, becoming one of the best-known and most controversial examples of 20th century literature. The name “Lolita” has entered pop culture to describe a sexually precocious girl. The novel was adapted to film by Stanley Kubrick in 1962, and again in 1997 by Adrian Lyne. It has also been adapted several times for stage and has been the subject of two operas, two ballets, and an acclaimed but failed Broadway musical.

4 thoughts on “My Name is Lolita”

Classic literature’s in the eye of the beholder, too. They called it a classic then, but it gets barely a mention these days. I can’t remember the last time I knew someone who actually was reading the book. I think it was about 1966.😉

I hated the film and never bothered to buy or read the book. As far as I’m concerned, this is junk literature. But it is considered by Wikipedia Encyclopedia as a classic.

I understand the book was published in 1955 in Paris and 1958 in New York. It has also been adapted several times for stage and has been the subject of two operas, two ballets, and an acclaimed but failed Broadway musical.

I’m glad to have learned about your two cents on this. Plots that deal on men’s predilection for girls young enough to be their daughters I find repulsive. Albeit it’s a fact of life, there is no reason for such to be glorified in literature and media. It’s just revolting.